Condiment container with multiple compartments



N. R. LYKES 2,907,497 CONDIMENT CONTAINER WITH MULTIPLE COMPARTMENTS Oct. 6, 1959 Filed Sept. 12. 1957 v 5 m F 17 2 O 2 l 2 4 l F 2 B 7 3 6 7 5 4 2 2 M O 1 ill 2 2 u 1 1: 2 .T L w 5 4 2 G I Un t w s Pat fl CONDllVIENT CONTAINER WITH MULTIPLE COMPARTMENTS Norman R. Lykes, Maricopa County, Ariz. Application SeptemberlZ, 1957, Serial No. 683,537 3 Claims. or. 222-1424 This invention relates to condiment containers of the multiple compartment and shaker type.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a condiment container having a plurality of compartments for holding condiments and means for shaking the condiments from the container one at a time.

Another object is to provide a condiment container having several compartments for holding different condiments together with means for shaking out any one of the condiments as desired without dispensing or shaking the other condiments.

Still another object is to provide a multiple compartment condiment holder having holes for dispensing several different condiments which open radially outward from the top portion of the container.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by means of the devices, parts and combinations of parts shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a side elevational view of a condiment container having multiple compartments for holding different condiments;

Figure 2 is a top view thereof;

Figure 3 is a bottom view thereof;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section thereof taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the container taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 1'; p

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of a modified form of condiment container having multiple compartments for holding different condiments;

Figure 7 is a plan view thereof;

Figure 8 is a section taken through the body of the container substantially on line 8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a section of a top portion of a condiment container of the type shown herein, drawn on an enlarged scale and showing a modified form of passageway for the ejection of condiments.

Figure 10 is a similar sectional elevational view of the top portion of a condiment container, also drawn on an enlarged scale; and s Figure 11 is a further modification of a portion-of the top of a condiment container showing a means of ejection ofthe condiments.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

Referring to Figures 1 through 5 the body 2 of the container is cylindrical and has a removable portion 3 and a base portion 4.

Within the base there is a circular recess 5. The top portion of body 2 is provided with an annular groove 6.

A shaker top 7 is fitted onto groove 6 of the body. Within the body there are, in this form, three different compartments, 10, 10a and 1012. These extend vertically within body 2 and are formed by radially extending partitions 12, 13 and 14. These compartments are shown particularly in Figure 4 which is a section taken on 2,907,497. Patented Oct. 6, 1959 line 4-4 of Figure 1 when viewed upwardly in the direction of the arrows at the end of the section line.

Within the top portion 7 there are shakeout holes indicated generally by numerals 15, 16 and 17. These holes are not straight but each has a substantially right angular bend 20 which directs the outer portion of the shakeout hole radially so that it terminates on the periphery of part 7.

The inner portion of each of the shakeout holes commences with an entrance hole, such as 22, which is in the top portion of compartment 10, 23 which is in the top portion of compartment 10a and24 which is in the top portion of compartment 10b. These portions of the shakeout holes are all parallel to the axis of the body 2 and all lead to an angular bend in each respective hole.

From bend 20 of each hole the outer portion of each shakeout hole, such as 25, 25a and 25b, extends radially to the periphery of the part 7, as above mentioned. The inner portions of each shakeout hole are of varying lengths and lead to the outer portions of the shakeout holes so that the outer portions are at, different longitu- 'dinal positions in body part 7, that is, the inner hole 24 is short and from the bend 20 the outer portion 2512 leads a peripheral opening 27 which is near the bottom of part 7. The opening 23 leads through the horizontal shakeout hole to an opening 2711 which is at a higher elevation than opening 27. And the inner portion of shakeout hole 22 leads to an opening 27b which is ata still higher level.

Each of the outer portions of the shakeout holes extend across the axis of the body 7 so that, Whereas the inner portion 22 of the shakeout hole 15 for compartment 10 is on one side of the central axis of the body, the horizontal portion 25 of this shakeout hole extends across the axis of the body and the exit hole 27b is on the opposite side of the body. Thus, when the body 2 is held in the hand for dispensing condiment from compartment 10, and if this compartment is held at the top of the body 2 by the hand of the user, as in shaking the container, material in the compartment 10 will be shaken through the portion 22 of the shakeout hole and will exit at the opening 2712 on the opposite side of the body. The ground condiment will therefore have transversed through the upper compartment and through the shakeout hole so thatit issues on the lower sideof the body 2. When the body 2 is made of transparent material the user can determine the type of condiment in the upper compartmentbecause it is easily viewed. At the same time he will know that this is the material that will be shaken out of the exit hole on the lower side of the body. N

If the user turns the body 2 so that the compartment 10a is at the top then the material in this compartment will exit through the inner hole 23 and be dispensed through the opening 25a and an exit opening 27a. The same holds true for the material in compartment 10b.

Ordinarily there need be only one shakeout passageway for each compartment. In this case the holes are made larger than the usual perforations of the top of the ordinary condiment container. 'Since these holes are made larger there is less likelihood that the material shaken out will clog up the opening. Furthermore, since all the exit openings are on the sides of the body part 7 there is little chance of dirt entering the exit hole. If desired parallel exit holes, such as 55, Figure 7, may be used where a greater quantity of condiment is required.

It is important to note that when the body 2 is held with one of the compartments uppermost only the material in that compartment will be shaken out. because material in the lower compartments will not pass upward through the upward trending exit holes of the lower compartments.

In this form there are holes in the bottom of each com! This is true' partrnent for filling. These holes are indicated by numeral 30. Corks 31 are provided for closing each of these filling holes. The rim 32 formed by the cavity provides 'a means for protecting the ends of the corks 31 when the shaker is resting on its base which is the bottom edge of the rim.

In the form shown in Figures 6 through 8 the body 40 is substantially cylindrical and is intended to rest on a. base 41. Within the body there are three compartments 43, 44 and 45 formed by the radial partitions 46, 47 and 48. A top body portion 49 is fitted to the body 40 by annular grooves 50.

Within the top 49 there are angularly extending pairs of shakeout holes indicated by numerals 51, 52 and 53. These shakeout holes commence near the outer curved portion of eachcompartment. The openings adjacent this edge are indicated by numerals 54, 54a and 54b. From these entrances the shakeout holes extend radially and upwardly to the exit holes indicated by numerals 55, 55a, and 55b.

.Since, in this case, the entrance portions 54, 54a and 54b are near the outer wall of each compartment the shaker must be held with the compartment from which the condiment is to be shaken directed downward. That is, the body 40 of the shaker is held with the condiment desired on the lower side. When it is shaken the material in the compartment on the lower side moves to the lower portion of the compartment and stops against the outer wall of this compartment, whereupon it enters the shakeout holes adjacent this outer wall. The material in the other compartments cannot leave through the shakeoutholes of these other compartments because the shakeout holes are directed upward and the material in these other compartments will lodge in a position away from their entrance openings. 7

To fill and replace condiments in the several compartments of this form, I provide filling holes, such as 60, which open radially into the upper part of body 40 and into each of the respective compartments. Each or these holes is closed by a tightly fitting plug 61 which may be either of a compression fitting type or may be held by screw threads. t In Figure 9 I have indicated a form of top, such as the portion 49 shown in Figure 6. Here, rather than have the shakeout hole angular, such as those shown in Figure 6, I provide an entrance opening '63 which is aligned with the axis of the body and turns at right angles at 64 to a radially extending portion 65 which again turns at 66 to an exit portion 67 which is parallel to the axis of the body. This modified top portion is indicated at 4911.

The top 49b, indicated in Figure 10, has aipas'sageway or shakeout hole substantially the same as that shown 'in Figure 9, except that the horizontal or radial portion 65a terminates in an opening 67a which is on the edge of the top.

In the top, indicated as 49c, the horizontal portion 650 opens into an annular cavity '67 within the top portion of each compartment respectively. And this horizontal portion extends radially to the exit 67c which is in the rim 68 of the top 490. All these forms function substantially the same as the exit holes shown in Figure 6, except that for certain condiments it has been found better to have a portion of the shakeout short hole horizontal rather than angular and opening on the top face of the top as shown in Figure 6.

In this modified form, since the shakeout holes open at the top face it would be impractical to turn the body over and fill it from the bottom. Therefore, I have made the provision, above described, for filling the several compartments through openings in the upper portion of the sides of the body 4.

I claim:

1. A condiment container composed of a tubular body, a top closing said body, radially extending partitions dividing said body into separate compartments, a bottom closing all compartments, said top having shake out openings each opening into each compartment near the axial portion of said body each opening having a longitudinal portion extending outward parallel to the axis of said body to a bend, and a radial portion extending from said longitudinal portion radially across the axial portion of said top to the periphery of the top and opening on the peripheral side of said top; said radial portion of said shake out'openings being at right angles to the axis of said body and disposed at diiferent planestherein, said bottom having filling holes extending into each of said compartments, and plugs closing said holes.

2. A condiment container composed of a tubular body, a top closing said body, radially extending partitions dividing said body into separate compartments, a bottom closing all compartments, shake out openings in said top each opening into each compartment and extending outward parallel to the axis of said body to a bend and thence extending radially across the axial portion of said top to form a radial portion in each shake out opening; said radial portion of said shake out openings being at right angles to the axis of said body and at difierent planes therein, said bottom having .filling holes extending into each of said compartments, and plugs closing said holes.

3. A condiment container composed of a tubular body, a circular top closing said body, radially extending partitions dividing said body into separate compartments, a bottom closing all compartments, said top having shake out openings each opening into each compartment near the central portion thereof, each opening having a longitudinal portion extending parallel to the axis of the said body to a bend and a substantially radial portion extending from said bend across the central portion of said top, and opening in the outer annular portion of said top; :said radial portion of said shake out openings being disposed in difierent planes in said top; said'bo'ttom having .filling holes extending into each of said compartments adapted to be closed by plugs.

References Cited in the 'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

